Swan Song
Swan Song is the first episode of Season 2 of Sodor: The Modern Years, and the eighty-first episode overall. Plot One morning in 2011, as Gordon's getting ready to take the express, Pip and Emma arrive. The Fat Controller explains to Gordon and Thomas that this is due to two reasons. Firstly, the Other Railway is concerned about the time taken to change engines at Barrow. Secondly, with competition from a hovercraft running from Sodor to the mainland, the railway needs to remain competitive. Thomas is a bit worried about this, but Gordon takes it quite well. In the sheds that night, James voices his objections to Pip and Emma's new position as the NWR's express engine, but Gordon replies that this takeover only seems a bit sudden. He then tells them that the turn of events that lead to Gordon's retirement started a week ago, when the Fat Controller came to see him. We then flash back a week, to a rainy morning. The Fat Controller tells Gordon that the schedule will need to be tightened up at the request of TransPennine, and he replies that he'll do the best he can. But as he heads to the station for that morning's run, he doubts if he can. Sure enough, he's unable to make up the time needed at Crovan's Gate or at Barrow. At Barrow, while he's resting, Alice talks to Gordon. She saw him running fast on the trip up, and is worried. He explains about the new timetable, but Alice is still concerned when he leaves. On his return run, Gordon is pushing himself harder, and has a breakdown at Vicarstown. Owen takes his passengers on, after shunting Gordon in the shed to wait for Geoff. While he's waiting, Evan arrives and tells Gordon off for being careless. Gordon begins to defend himself, but realizes what he had done was pushing himself too much beyond his limits. Geoff later comes to take Gordon away to the Steamworks. That night in the sheds, Henry and James tease Gordon about the incident. As the other engines go to sleep, Gordon finds he has a lot on his mind. The next morning, the Fat Controller comes to see Gordon, and she's not happy. When Gordon explains he was trying to keep to the new timetable, the Fat Controller apologizes, and offers to talk to the Other Railway about keeping the old timetable. Gordon objects to this, and gives a little speech: "Ms Hatt, you said yourself that the railway needs to be competitive in order to survive. Since I arrived on this railway in 1923, trains have become heavier and longer, and timetable requirements more demanding. I've been able to keep up with these, and provide service that has helped the railway remain so. But I'm sure you and your predecessors were aware, as I was, that a day would come when I would reach the limits of what I can do. It would seem, ma'am, that day was yesterday. I've been looking after the express on this railway for 87 years, ma'am. That's a good run by anyone's standards, especially given that most of my brothers and cousins only got to run for about half of that. But now, I think it's in the best interests of the railway that the express is taken over by an engine whose limits are well beyond mine." Gordon then suggests Pip and Emma as his replacements, and the Fat Controller goes to arrange for them to arrive. The story then flashes back to the present, with the engines impressed and surprised at how Gordon has 'taken one for the team'. The episode ends with Pip and Emma promising to look after Gordon's passengers. Characters *Thomas *Henry *Gordon *James *Alice *Peter *Pip and Emma *Owen *Evan *Rusty *Emily Helen Hatt *Geoff (does not speak) *Edward (cameo) *Percy (cameo) *Toby (cameo) *Duck (cameo) *Donald (cameo) *Oliver (cameo) *Sheffield (cameo) *Diesel (cameo) *Bear (cameo) *Patrick (cameo) *Iris (cameo) *Shane (cameo) *Caden (cameo) *Annie and Clarabel (cameo) *Hubert (not named, mentioned) Trivia *Part of this episodes script was released on November 6th by WildNorWester for people to audition for different roles. *3D models for Pip and Emma were made by Sodor Island 3D, commissioned by WildNorWester himself. *This episode was originally going to be called "On His Own Terms", but was changed due to the opening scene being similar to "Thomas and the Swan". *This episode marks the first of a few things: **This is the first speaking appearances of Pip and Emma, Owen and Evan. **TenShine1 takes over the role of Thomas from this episode onwards. ** The Peel Godred Branch and Pizzazombie join the voice cast. ** The first time SI3D 2012 models have been used in the series. ** The first time Shane has been seen in an episode, albeit in a cameo. ** Caden makes his first cameo in this episode. * This also marks the last time WildNorWester's old NWR standard gauge models are used. * When Gordon talks about Pip and Emma taking over, he quotes the Fourth Doctor's final lines. * Railway Series references include; Off the Rails, Thomas and the Swan and Gordon Proves his Point. * "Winds Of Change" is refrenced when Alice brings up the time trial. Voice Cast * WildNorWester as the Narrator * ANB as Emily Helen Hatt and Alice * TenShine1 as Thomas * TheScotsmanReturns as Henry * Generations113 as Gordon * Edward Tear as James * David Moyle as Peter * Pizzazombie as Owen * The Peel Godred Branch as Evan * TobyandMavisforever as Pip and Emma * Matthew1996 as Rusty Gallery SwanSongTitleCard.png|Title Card (unused test sequence) SwanSongTitleCard2.png|Title Card GordonSTMYSeason2.png ThomasSTMYSeason2.png Pip.png JamesSTMYSeason2.png Owen.png Peter in the background passing Gordan and Evan.JPG PipandEmmaSketch.png Episode Category:Episodes Category:Sodor: The Modern Years Category:Season 2 STMY Category:Flashbacks